Dahlia plant named ‘Dodahhypicar’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Dahlia  plant named ‘Dodahhypicar’, characterized by its relatively compact, broadly upright and uniformly mounding plant habit; relatively small dark green-colored leaves; early and freely flowering habit; large inflorescences with bright red and yellow bi-colored ray florets; and good postproduction longevity.

Botanical designation: Dahlia variabilis.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DODAHHYPICAR’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Dahlia plant, botanically known as Dahlia variabilis and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Dodahhypicar’.

The new Dahlia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in De Lier, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new container Dahlia plants that have a freely branching and flowering habit, dark-colored leaves, large attractive inflorescences and good postproduction longevity.

The new Dahlia plant originated from a cross-pollination in De Lier, The Netherlands of two unidentified proprietary selections of Dahlia variabilis, not patented. The new Dahlia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Lier, The Netherlands during the spring of 2015.

Asexual reproduction of the new Dahlia plant by vegetative terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Lier,

The Netherlands since the spring of 2015 has shown that the unique features of this new Dahlia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Dahlia have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Dodahhypicar’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Dodahhypicar’ as a new and distinct Dahlia plant:

-   -   1. Relatively compact, broadly upright and uniformly mounding         plant habit.     -   2. Relatively small dark green-colored leaves.     -   3. Early and freely flowering habit.     -   4. Large inflorescences with bright red and yellow bi-colored         ray florets.     -   5. Good postproduction longevity.

Compared to plants of the parent selections, plants of the new Dahlia differ primarily in growth habit as plants of the new Dahlia are more uniformly mounding than plants of the parent selections.

Plants of the new Dahlia can be compared to plants of Dahlia ‘Fidahhypre’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,252. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Dahlia differ primarily from plants of ‘Fidahhypre’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Dahlia are more compact than plants of         ‘Fidahhypre’.     -   2. Ray florets of plants of the new Dahlia are bright red and         yellow bi-colored whereas ray florets of plants of ‘Fidahhypre’         are solid red in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Dahlia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Dahlia plant.

The photograph on the first sheet is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Dodahhypicar’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of ‘Dodahhypicar’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and the following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the late summer and early autumn in 13-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in De Lier, The Netherlands and under environmental conditions and cultural practices which approximate those generally used in commercial potted Dahlia production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 24° C. to 30° C., night temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 20° C. and light levels averaged 600 watt/m². Plants were ten weeks old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Dahlia variabilis ‘Dodahhypicar’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unidentified proprietary selection             of Dahlia variabilis, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unidentified proprietary selection             of Dahlia variabilis, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About twelve days at             temperatures about 22° C. to 30° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About two weeks at             temperatures about 22° C. to 30° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted plant, summer.—About two weeks at             temperatures about 22° C. to 30° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted plant, winter.—About 2.5 weeks at             temperatures about 20° C. to 22° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; typically             whitish grey in color, actual color of the roots is             dependent on substrate composition, water quality,             fertilizers, substrate temperature and age of roots; tuber             development has not been observed on plants of the new             Dahlia.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Relatively compact, broadly upright             and uniformly mounding plant form; broad inverted triangle;             moderately freely basal branching with about three primary             lateral branches developing per plant, each primary lateral             branch with about five to seven secondary branches;             inflorescences held above the foliar plane on strong             peduncles; bushy and dense habit; moderately vigorous growth             habit and moderate growth rate.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane.—About 22             cm.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of floral plane.—About 25 cm             to 30 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 29 cm by 43 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 14 cm to 17 cm. Diameter:             About 1.3 cm. Internode length: About 1.2 cm. Aspect: Erect             to somewhat outwardly spreading. Strength: Moderately             strong. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; semi-glossy.             Color: Close to 146B; at the internodes, close to 146A. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite; leaves may be single or compound with             three or occasionally five leaflets.         -   Leaf length.—About 15 cm to 19 cm.         -   Leaf width.—About 12 cm to 15 cm.         -   Leaflet length.—About 10 cm to 12 cm.         -   Leaflet width.—About 5 cm to 8 cm.         -   Leaf and leaflet shape.—Ovate.         -   Leaf and leaflet apex.—Acute.         -   Leaf and leaflet base.—Attenuate.         -   Leaf and leaflet margin.—Serrate to dentate.         -   Leaf and leaflet venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Leaf and leaflet texture and luster, upper surface.—Sparsely             pubescent; slightly rough; slightly glossy.         -   Leaf and leaflet texture and luster, lower surface.—Sparsely             pubescent; slightly rough; matte.         -   Color.—Developing leaves and leaflets, upper surface: Close             to 147A. Developing leaves and leaflets, lower surface:             Close to 147B. Fully expanded leaves and leaflets, upper             surface: Close to N137B; venation, close to 147A. Fully             expanded leaves and leaflets, lower surface: Close to 148B;             venation, close to 147B.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 3.5 cm to 4.5 cm. Diameter: About             4 mm. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture and luster, upper             and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; slightly glossy.             Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 146B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance and arrangement.—Double inflorescence form with             ray florets forming acropetally on a receptacle;             inflorescences positioned above the foliar plane on strong             peduncles; inflorescences face mostly upright; freely             flowering habit with about 10 to 15 inflorescences per             plant.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Time to flower.—Plants flower continuously from spring             through the autumn in The Netherlands; early flowering             habit, plants begin flowering about 50 to 60 days after             planting.         -   Post-production longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good             substance for about two weeks on the plant; inflorescences             persistent.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 1.2 cm. Diameter: About             1.4 cm. Shape: Globular, flattened. Texture and luster:             Smooth; semi-glossy. Color: Close to N144B.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 10 cm to 12 cm. Depth             (height): About 10 cm to 14 cm. Disc diameter: About 1 cm.             Receptacle height: About 4 mm. Receptacle diameter: About             1.5 cm. Receptacle color: Close to 144A.         -   Ray florets.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 60 to 70             arranged in about ten whorls. Length: About 4 cm. Width:             About 1.4 cm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Obtuse.             Margin: Entire. Aspect: Initially upright to roughly             perpendicular to the peduncle; somewhat concave. Texture and             luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte.             Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface:             Distally, close to 45C and proximally, close to 8A;             venation, similar to lamina colors; with development, colors             becoming closer to 34A and 8A. When opening and fully             opened, lower surface: Distally, close to 45C and             proximally, close to 8A; venation, similar to lamina colors;             with development, colors becoming closer to 34A and 8A.         -   Disc florets.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 25 to 30             arranged in about four to six whorls. Length: About 8 mm.             Diameter: About 1 mm. Shape: Tubular, elongated; apices             obtuse. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color,             when opening and fully opened: Close to 1B.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About six arranged             in a single whorl. Length: About 2 cm. Width: About 9 mm.             Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire.             Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous; matte. Color, upper surface: Close to 137A;             venation, close to 13 7A. Color, lower surface: Close to             137B; venation, close to 137B.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 12 cm to 14 cm.             Diameter, terminal peduncle: About 4 mm. Aspect: Mostly             erect. Strength: Strong. Texture and luster: Smooth,             glabrous; semi-glossy. Color: Close to 144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Quantity per floret: One. Filament length: About 4 mm.             Filament color: Close to 17A. Anther shape: Narrowly             elliptic. Anther size: About 9 mm by 1.5 mm. Anther color:             Close to 6A. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close to             17B. Gynoecium: To date, pistil development has not been             observed on plants of the new Dahlia. Seeds: To date, seed             development has not been observed on plants of the new             Dahlia. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Dahlia have     not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Dahlia plants. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Dahlia tolerate high     temperatures about 35° C. and short periods of low temperatures     about 5° to 10° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Dahlia plant named ‘Dodahhypicar’ as illustrated and described. 